Dan Burn sees his spell with Yeovil Town as crucial to hopes of making the step up to featuring in the Premier League.

The giant defender is in line for his third appearance of a youth loan from Fulham when the Glovers lock horns with Colchester United on Saturday.

Burn is yet to appear for the Cottagers, but admits he has to be patient with illustrious competition ahead of him and said now was the time to prove himself after finally completing a temporary switch to Somerset.

The 20-year-old who joined Fulham as a teenager for a six-figure fee said: “I have been trying to get out on loan for a while. I am trying to break into the first team at Fulham and I feel I really need some first team experience before I get that chance.

“If you are choosing between Brede Hangeland who has played so many times internationally, you have got Phillipe Senderos, you have got Aaron Hughes and all those big names you are not going to just chuck in a young lad just for the sake of it.

“I think this is a good chance for me to prove myself in a good league at a good team and hopefully possibly get back and break into the first team and make that step.”

Burn first caught manager Gary Johnson’s eye in Fulham’s reserves aged 18, before representing the Craven Cottage outfit’s under-21 development side this season.

The 6ft 6ins left footer revealed he had been aware of Yeovil’s interest for some weeks and was delighted the two clubs finally came to an agreement.

He added he would be prepared to stay with the Glovers until the end of the season providing he was performing and it suited all three parties.

“They had been talking about it for a while,” he said. “We had Manchester City at home on the Monday for the under-21s and they told me in the morning I was going to go.

“We had been waiting for weeks but for whatever reason they couldn’t agree. I have known for weeks. I am glad they have got it sorted, it is always good too come to a new club and meet players but it is also daunting because you have never met those players before.

“I love it so far, it’s really good. Since the start of the season I have been checking the results and watching the Football League show. They did a piece where they went into the club so I already knew some people from there. I had done my research.

“We will see how it goes and see what happens. If I play well and I put in some good performances and the team’s playing well I can’t see why it can’t go until the end of the season.”

Burn enjoyed a dramatic debut at Preston North End, scoring at both ends in the 3-2 defeat. He described the game as “crazy”, saying: “It was great to be back playing first team football, I am just disappointed with the result.

“There are not many games that you can say you have scored an own goal and gone up the other end and scored as well.

“It was just one of those where if I had reacted quicker I would have been in a position to deal with it but I was in my stride and I couldn’t get out the way if I tried. I then had it in my mind that I would just go for it. I saw the ball drop over the keeper and was in shock.”